Archives: Model Tools

Use this template when an election requires secret ballots.

The following policy was written with the help of attorney Robert Nobile. The policy requires former employees to sign a release authorizing the disclosure of information on employment dates, job titles, and salary. Some managers get a release only when their references go beyond that limited information. Review the policy with your attorney and decide…

Showing that you took reasonable care to avoid injuries in the community’s common areas can prove to be crucial when liability issues crop up after an injury takes place in one of those areas. Every community’s common areas will vary, though, so use our checklist below as a guide and add particular aspects that you…

If you can’t write your own service contracts, your association should at least write its own termination clause to insert into the contractor’s form contract. Ask the association’s attorney about adapting this type of termination right to include in every signed service contract. This clause lets you get out of the contract on seven days’…

If you can’t write your own service contracts, your association should at least write its own termination clause to insert into the contractor’s form contract. Ask the association’s attorney about adapting this type of termination right to include in every signed service contract. This clause lets you get out of the contract on seven days’…

Here is a pre-audit checklist written with the help of Gary Rosen of Wilkin & Guttenplan, P.C. Use this checklist to organize and prepare for the year-end audit of your association’s financial statements.

Tax law classifies workers as either “independent contractors” or “employees,” but if you don’t choose the correct classification for third-party workers, such as maintenance people, the association could be on the hook for avoidable liability—namely, fines and penalties. The answers to the following questions—which should be in the form of a “yes” or “no”—should help…

Using a pre-employment statement to certify the accuracy of a prospective employee’s application can help protect the community association you manage from claims that it wasn’t careful enough during the hiring process. Before starting your pre-employment screening process, get the job applicant to sign this pre-employment statement that should be a part of, or attached…

The following bylaw bans the smoking of cigarettes, cigars, and pipes in common areas and, if you choose to extend the ban in your community, within members’ units as well. The bylaw is effective because it makes members responsible for the smoking of their guests, provides for a fine to enforce the policy, and says…

An acceleration policy can be very effective for cutting assessment delinquencies, but it should be drafted carefully. Keep in mind that your governing documents and state law will influence what you can and can’t put in your policy. Ask your attorney about adapting this policy for use at your community.